‘Supergirl’ to air Mondays on CW, bumping ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ to Fridays

By Meredith Blake
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May 24, 2016 at 4:00 PM

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s — the CW’s fall schedule!

Ahead of its up-front presentation in New York, the CW released its primetime lineup for 2016. Heading into its 10th anniversary, the network is adding two brand-new series for the fall, plus “Supergirl,” which is relocating from CBS.

CW is hoping the addition of the drama starring Melissa Benoist as the Man of Steel’s cousin will provide a ratings boost.

“We truly believe that this is a great help to us,” CW president Mark Pedowitz told reporters in a Thursday morning conference call, adding that his network, which is home to three other DC Comics adaptations, is “where it should have been in the first place.”

“Supergirl” will air in the same timeslot, Mondays at 8 p.m., it held at CBS, which should help ease the transition for migrating viewers and could potentially provide a boost for “Jane the Virgin,” the modestly rated but well-reviewed telenovela spoof.

“Supergirl” will take over real estate previously occupied by “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” a critical darling that has struggled even more to find an audience. The musical comedy starring Golden Globe-winner Rachel Bloom will move to a lower-stakes Friday night at 9 p.m., where it could potentially benefit from lead-in “The Vampire Diaries.”

The network is also unveiling two new series this fall. “No Tomorrow” is a romantic comedy about a risk-averse young woman who falls for a free-spirited guy who believes the apocalypse is just eight months away. It’s slated for Tuesdays at 9 p.m. after “The Flash,” the network’s top-rated series with women, Pedowitz said, noting that both shows share a certain “blue-sky optimism.”

On Wednesdays at 9 p.m. is “Frequency.” Based on the 2000 Toby Emmerich film, it follows a female detective who discovers she’s able to speak to her father, who died 20 years ago, through an old ham radio.

Long-running favorite “Supernatural,” which Pedowitz compared to the Energizer Bunny, has been bumped to Thursdays at 9 p.m.

The CW has five shows on tap for midseason. In addition to returning dramas “Reign,” “The 100,” “iZombie,” and “The Originals” is newcomer “Riverdale,” a contemporary update on the “Archie” comics from executive producer Greg Berlanti, who now oversees five dramas for the network.

“This has become a 52-week world,” Pedowitz said. “You have to have fresh programming throughout the year.”